Be mindful and make a colourful map as you notice unusual objects and the colours of things all around you!
What you’ll need: A grown-up to go with you, your imagination, some concentration, and somewhere to go for a walk. This could be outside, along your street, the park or even around your home. If you go outside, make sure it's safe and you have permission. You will also need, some paper and some coloured pens, pencils, or crayons, (optional: a phone, or a camera, if you want to document what you saw this way)
What’s it for?
Colour is all around us and in this activity, you’re going to go on a colour trail: a walk where you try to look for all the colours of the rainbow, to create your own colourful map of where you ventured to. This activity is to encourage self-exploration, attention, and mindfulness. This activity allows you to immerse yourself in your chosen environment, this activity does require some focus and can also be calming if you allow it to be. It is especially mindful if you lean in to how you’re feeling and the various sensory stimulation the environment offers so freely. You might notice the smell of bright coloured flowers, or the sound of people chatting in their brightly coloured coats, or the green leaves of a tree rustling in the wind.
Check In:
Notice how you’re feeling right now. Close your eyes and notice what’s going on inside your mind and body.
How are you feeling?
What are you thinking?
How does your body feel?
Before your Colour Trail, allow your attention to expand to become aware of your body, and breathing, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Feel where the body meets the chair or floor. And then expand your attention even further to include the temperature of the room and the space around you. What sounds do you hear? What do you see? What colours do you see, what shapes do you notice, how does this make you feel?
Now, Let’s go!
Method:
On your trail you are going to focus on each colour of the rainbow, one by one. You will bring your journey to life by making a colourful map to record where you went and what you saw.
Look for things in every colour of the rainbow, one by one. You can draw or photograph each thing you find, write them down, or just look.
Start with red and go through all the colours in the rainbow until you reach the end: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.
Repeat until you have seen each colour three or more times
While on your Colour Trail, ask yourself these questions:
What are the things you found made from?
How do the different colours make you feel?
Which colour is your favourite?
When you have completed your colour trail, on a piece of paper draw a line that represents the journey you made today with a starting and an ending point. You should also add labels, draw landmarks or points of reference, to make your map easier to read.
There is no right or wrong way to create a map. This is your personal journey and is a record of what you saw.
You can now illustrate your map with the things you saw. Cover it in colourful drawings, photographs, or annotate in colourful writing.
Extra Activity: Now that you have completed your Colour Trail and colourful map, you can create a figure that can move across the map you have created. You might want to create a story about the journey exploring how it felt, what you saw, and the colours you noticed. Maybe your story could include a challenge that your figure might encounter and overcome on your colourful map.
When you’ve finished, spend a moment reflecting on the activity and ask yourself the following questions:
How does it feel looking at your map?
Did you notice a shift in your attention and focus when being mindful (present in the moment)?
After your trail did you notice a change in your mood? Did you feel calm?
Is there somewhere on your map where you might like to spend more time?
Does your colourful map remind you of another journey you have made, or places you have visited?
Are there any colours that remind you of a special person, experience, or place?
Did you discover anything new in your chosen environment?
Conclusion:
We often look at things without really thinking about what colour they are. This activity encourages mindfulness, emotional wellbeing, and attention. Sometimes something as simple as an absorbing activity like this one can transform your mood and create a sense of calm. Setting yourself a gentle looking and noticing task can help you to focus on the present and allow space for thoughts in a way that is not overwhelming.
Take a moment to notice how you are feeling at the end of this activity. Did you
discover anything surprising? What can you take away to make you feel better about
yourself from this activity?
If you would like to, share something about your experience with this activity with someone you live with! Ask the person who looks after you to send us an email if you have any questions or comments about the activity or would like to send us any pictures (info@catcorner.co.uk). Don't forget to subscribe for more fun CAT activities!
Created by Kamala Roberts© March 2022
Creative Arts Used: Art
Psychological Areas Explored: Mindfulness, Emotional Wellbeing, Self-Exploration, Attention
If you enjoyed this activity, you might also like: A-B-C Around Me: Feel more settled and connected to your surroundings
These activities could be done by children of all ages, but some may need the support of their parent or carer to read the instructions or complete the activity safely.
This website was made by CAT Corner to help you explore your feelings through fun creative arts activities. The people using the website and the people responsible for them need to make sure they stay safe (full disclaimer on About page).